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Hi-ya friendlings,
I have the honor of co-hosting the Epoch 2013 awards with my friend Jeff Shinabarger. The awards will honor the heroes you know but the world doesn’t. Have a friend who you want recognized? A friend who’s work could benefit from the $50K that’s being given away?
I had a fight with my husband tonight and I’m at a total loss for knowing what to do now. Essentially, what happened was this…He’s much better with computers than I am so I asked him for help with an issue I was having with ours. After giving me his advice, I asked him if he was sure and then continued with more clarifying questions. He got really annoyed and shot back, “It’s simple enough for a 3rd grader to do.” So, then I shot back with some remarks, including a parallel to the way his father is–which didn’t go over so well. In the end, he said, “You’re always right. I’m always wrong,” and then he just shut down. This always happens when we argue. So, what do I do? Read more
I met Janel in college. She was a star soccer player, artist, and native Californian. In my midwest naivety, I heard her speak and said, “So, are you what they call a Valley Girl?” She was not amused.
And she’s probably not amused at me telling that story.
Friendlings,
Finally! For those of you who haven’t been quite clear on what The Illumination Project is, here is the place where you can get info, watch sample clips, hear from people who attended the Portland filming, and sign up for mind-blowing updates.
Seriously, your mind will. be. blown. Read more
Joy,
I have an Ask Joy question for you. Can you do a blog post about guys that actually step up and clearly ask girls out (via the phone), pick them up, open the car door, pay for everything, drop them off, walk them to the door, call a few days later to go on a second date….and then the girls tell their friends they aren’t sure if it was a date or not? We have a spreading disease in my city. Read more
Brad and I became friends a couple years ago through our mutual friend Jeff Shinabarger. (I’m starting to think Shinabarger is the Kevin Bacon game of my life.) I am very impressed by Brad’s work ethic and his ability to lead people well.
My boyfriend and I have been together for a year and 3 months. He says he’s committed to me, but he won’t say he loves me, even though he wants to. He was in a previous relationship for 6 years so I understand he wants to be cautious and take it slow. But, c’mon…if he says he wants to say it but doesn’t say it, doesn’t that mean he doesn’t love me? Read more
Last week we told you about a site for men that features food, fashion, music, and just general, all-around know-how for men. Think bow-ties, blue grass, bowling league. Actually, I’m not sure if they’ve done a piece on that last one, but I submit that they do. Nothing says “gentleman” like two-toned shoes and polyester.
So speaking of fashion…this week, I’m excited to share about a new women’s magazine that is seeking to be, well, realistic. I doubt you will get your fix of anorexic models and a “Stars! They’re Just Like Us” section with Drew Barrymore picking up two-ply toilet paper at the local grocery store. Read more
Hi, Joy!
My girlfriend and I have been in each other’s lives for four years. We dated my senior year in high school, dated for two years, and then broke up. Later, after we broke up, she became a follower of Christ and being agnostic myself was interested in her faith. I started going to church with her and after a couple months I accepted Christ too. After awhile we started dating again and it’s been almost a year.
My friend, Jeremy Blume, saw a problem and decided to fix it. And instead of me blabbing on and on about how he can probably give you a three-point speech on beard etiquette and bowtie a tie one-handed in his sleep, I’ll just let you read about how he got the idea for starting Bearings. A magazine for gentlemen.
I know Blair from the streets. We used to hoop it up on Saturday mornings in our SE Portland hood.
And by hoop it up I mean we would play H.O.R.S.E. or I would run around and try to set picks and do a lot of screaming. Read more
We had wedding bells ring this month for one of our interns (it’s one of the pre-requisites to being on the team). We were so excited to hear about Julie’s wedding plans and when I found out how she and her fiancé (now husband) were working against the typical western wedding grain, I told her that they needed to share with you all.
Listen up, folks! Read more
We attended a Love and Respect conference in Chicago 5 years ago and it changed our lives. It gave us the tools to make our great marriage even better.
Now, we’re planning to go through the Love and Respect DVD series with our young adult Bible study and we’d like your advice on how to best lead it when there are people in all seasons of life in the group–single, dating, engaged, and married.
Hello my friendlings,
For all of you who have a case of the winter blues, take heart, because things are about to change. Spring is on its way. And you know what this season brings? Hay fever. Read more
Friends,
More and more people are finally talking about the neurological impacts of porn and the way it affects our ability to distinguish between reality and fantasy. I hope you see the relational impact it’s having on all of us—not only are we affected in our single, dating, and married life, but our children will be impacted, too. So much so that Iceland is considering banning pornography from their Internet all together.
Well hello friendlings,
Conferences are a great way to get a lot of great information all at once…kind of like the Internet. And I have great news, because what I’m about to tell you combines conferences and the Internet.
It’s a conference on the Internet.
Mind. Blown. Read more
Ok, I promise I will only pull that joke once. No, no, I’m not getting married.
I’M HAVING A BABY!
Still not funny? Read more
Jeff is a guy I go to when I have an idea. I respect his faaaaar-from-sugar-coated feedback—so much so that, if he told me my next project needed a baby elephant involved, I would probably get on the phone with the zoo, stat.
Recently, Jeff and his equally-just-as-wise wife, Andre, did a number of social experiments asking the question, “What is enough?” I love them both and love his newest book. Read more
If you are a female that shuts down [in conflict], what would be practical advice or a step to take to head towards healing? Read more
A little history on Lesley: we bonded in college over a WWII project in our Public Discourse class. Our group created an interactive experience where our peers could emotionally engage in different aspects of the war—the London bombings, Nazi gas chambers, families receiving news of soldiers killed and the atrocity of the atomic bomb. You know, light stuff like that.
Our goal was for people to “never forget” and I’m pretty sure our class never did. Read more
Why are women so materialistic and only want to date guys with nice cars? Read more
My old roommate Michelle and I lived together through most of college and then moved to Los Angeles after graduation. During those years in LA, we were pretty inseparable and predictable. We would meet at the gym after work, make dinner, watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy and then go for a walk on the beach like two geriatrics. On many of those walks, we’d pray for our future husbands and talk about what they would be like. Read more
How important is it that we agree politically? Read more
Last year I wrote a post about Making Love. The title alone caused many of my Grandparent demographic to “unlike” me. So this year I think the only group that will be annoyed with my day-o-valentine’s post are those who don’t like to laugh and those who don’t like free things.
If that’s you, feel free to hit the X in the upper right hand corner of your screen. Read more
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